New Beginnings
by theoofoof
Summary: A little post-ep for S20E24, inspired by the fact that Stone's little departure scene was basically ripped off from Barba's. (I say 'little', it's actually almost 6000 words, but y'know...)


Olivia slipped the key into the lock but took a moment before opening her front door. She needed to temper her emotions before she saw Noah. The disaster that had been today was not her son's fault and he didn't need her bringing work-related anger home with her. He'd already called her out on it once, believing he had done something to make her mad. She didn't want that to happen again, no matter how pissed off she was. And boy was she pissed off.

Actually, she was beyond pissed at Stone and was glad he'd taken the decision to leave because if he'd stayed, she wasn't sure she could work with him. Not after discovering what he'd done. The plan he had cooked up with Nikki Staines. The professional trust that it had taken her so long to place in him had been shattered. She was glad Miller was in jail where he belonged – and where he couldn't hurt Noah – but the way the two of them had gone about it, even co-opting her team into breaking the rules, falsifying evidence… it wasn't the way they did things. No matter the results it got. Not while she was in charge.

The fact that she'd been left standing outside the courthouse watching her ADA walk away for the second time in less than two years was not lost on her. Neither was the eerily similar theme of their goodbyes. It had almost been like déjà vu except the weather was better and Stone wasn't Rafael. He may have had the man's job, but he could never have replaced him in her life. However, his words, so similar to Rafael's, did have her questioning her own conduct and place in the justice system.

After Stone had walked away, she'd shelved those thoughts and headed back to the office to deal with her squad. Her stern words had left them in no doubt of her opinion on their actions. She'd explained that she understood that they'd only acted out of concern for her and Noah, but had reiterated what she'd told Fin after his little trip to Havana; that as long as she was in the big office, they had to do things the right way. She told them that if any of them ever pulled a stunt like that again she wouldn't hesitate in taking their badge.

She'd tried to shake off the feelings of anger, worry and self-doubt as she drove home but hadn't been able to stop replaying the events of the day – and Stone's words outside the courthouse – in her head. They'd been on a continuous loop and had left her feeling drained and somewhat adrift. As she stood in the empty hallway, trying to gather herself, a giggle and the sound of feet pounding the floor inside the apartment pulled her from her thoughts and she smiled for the first time that day. Hearing the carefree sounds of her son playing happily, running around without a care in the world, did wonders for her spirits. She felt lighter than she had in weeks. She opened the door, stepping inside to find Lucy crouched down, tidying away toys that had been left strewn across the floor in her son's wake.

"Noah should do that," Olivia told her. She glanced around but couldn't see him. "Where is he?"

"In his room," Lucy said.

"He had a good day?" Olivia asked as she slipped off her jacket.

Lucy nodded. "Fine as far as I know. He's practised his spelling words, but he hasn't read. He's moved up a level and wanted to wait to read the first book with you," Lucy explained as she put the final few toys back in the box while Olivia hung up her discarded jacket and toed off her shoes.

"How's your paper coming?" The young girl was completing an online degree in education, with a view to getting her teaching certificate after that. Olivia saw her potential and was happy to support her in studies, wanting her to make the best life for herself.

"It's progressing… slowly," she said with a smile. Standing, she turned serious. "So…" she began before pausing, biting her lip. "You have a visitor." Her eyes darted towards the rear of the apartment.

Olivia followed Lucy's gaze but could see no-one. She turned back to the nanny, eyebrow raised. The young girl was fidgety, her fingers toying with the hem of her jumper and she wouldn't meet Olivia's eye. Olivia's brain snapped instantly to the worst-case scenarios; Miller, Sheila, or any of the other hundreds of perps who'd threatened her over the years, and, instinctively, she reached for her gun.

Lucy's eyes widened at her boss's actions. "No, that's not necessary, it's not…" Her words came out in quick succession. She shook her head and took a breath. She lay a hand on Olivia's arm. "I would never let anyone in who would hurt Noah," she said. "Or you." Nodding to the gun, she continued, "You won't need that."

"Yeah, I know leaving like that was a shitty thing to do, but please don't shoot me."

At the sound of a voice she hadn't heard in over a year, Olivia froze, her eyes wide. With an encouraging, and slightly apologetic, smile from Lucy, she let her hand drop to her side and turned to face the man who had once been her best friend.

His name fell from lips in a soft whisper. "Rafa."

* * *

Noah had been showing Rafael the latest additions to his Lego collection when the former ADA heard the apartment door close. He stood on creaky knees and approached Noah's open bedroom door, listening as Lucy caught Olivia up on Noah's day.

"I thought you were going to help me build Hogwarts, Uncle Rafa."

"I will, _mi amigo_, but your _mami_ is home and I need to go let her know I'm back. Why don't you get started, show me how much your Lego skills have improved while I've been away, and I'll come help you when I'm done, okay?"

"You promise you won't just leave again?" Noah pouted.

Noah's words pierced Rafael's heart; the last thing he had wanted to do when he left was cause the boy pain – in fact, he'd left specifically to try and avoid that scenario. Clearly, he had failed. Turning back to the boy, he managed a small smile. "I promise. There are many more Lego creations in our future." He crouched down so he was eye-to-eye with him. "I am sorry for just disappearing, Noah. You know that, right?"

"Yeah."

Rafael ruffled Noah's hair and, as he returned to his Lego, stood once more and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure what kind of reaction he was going to get from Olivia when she saw him. Since he'd left her standing alone in the snow outside the courthouse fifteen months ago, they hadn't spoken. He'd travelled for a bit and sent postcards to her and Noah from various places across the Eastern seaboard, and then when he'd finally settled down, he'd sent her an email to let her know. She'd replied and there had been a few emails exchanged between them over the past few months, but they tended to be brief, neither of them comfortable exploring deeper issues via that medium of communication. He'd sent a card at Christmas too and gifts then and for Noah's birthday, He kept up with SVU's higher-profile cases through news outlets, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to pick up the phone and talk to Olivia, no matter how much he had wanted to.

He was regretting that now. He regretted all of it. Letting his repressed emotions about his father's death colour his actions in the Drew Householder case, the now irreconcilable relationship he had with his mother, leaving Olivia standing outside the courthouse, the minimal contact they'd had since. She had been his best friend and he'd just disappeared from her life with no real explanation, except that he had to 'move on'. Those words were his biggest regret. When she'd looked at him and asked 'and?', her eyes shining with tears, but a glimmer of hope still present, he'd been too scared to admit his true feelings. Too scared to tell her that she was all he wanted and had been for years.

His moral compass had gone haywire. He'd taken a life and even though he'd been found not guilty, his life would never be the same. The guilt he'd felt was so overwhelming that he couldn't foresee a time where he wouldn't be consumed by it. Add to that the fact that he was unemployed and had been disowned by most people who knew him, well, it didn't bode well for a budding romance. How could he start a relationship when he himself no longer knew who he was?.

It would have been unfair to both her and Noah. But instead of explaining, of asking her to wait for him, he took the coward's way out. He ran. Olivia would be well within her rights to throw him out and tell him she never wanted to see him again. He just hoped he could convince her to hear him out, give him a chance to explain.

Stepping out of Noah's room, Rafael set eyes on the woman who held his heart for the first time in fifteen months. She was turned slightly away from him meaning the first thing he noticed was her hair. She'd been growing it out before he left, and although he'd seen the new style on in the press, it wasn't the same as seeing it in person. He liked it; it suited her.

He saw her hand on her service weapon and heard Lucy assure her that she wouldn't need a gun and decided to step forward, hoping his attempt at humour would break the ice a little. She froze at the sound of his voice and time seemed to stretch out in front of him as he waited for her to turn and face him.

When she finally looked at him and uttered his name, his whole world shifted. He'd ran away to try to and get his life together, but even when all the euphoria surrounding the case had died down and he'd come to terms with his actions – when he was finally able to get on with his life – there had still been something missing. The bright, vivid colours with which he'd finally begun to view the world had been pale, muted. Looking into Olivia's eyes now, the hues began to glow once more, and he knew that the missing piece in his life had been her. He only hoped his behaviour hadn't scuppered any chance of repairing their friendship.

He watched as she dropped her hand from her gun, satisfied that her visitor meant her no harm. He took a few tentative steps towards her.

"Hi."

* * *

Setting eyes on Rafael after all this time, Olivia felt as if she couldn't breathe. She blinked several times to assure herself that she wasn't having a hallucination brought on by the stress of the last few weeks. But she wasn't. He was here, he was really here. He was standing in her apartment dressed in jeans and a black, long-sleeved sweater that clung to his torso, and accentuated his broad shoulders. His hair was slightly tousled as if he'd just run his fingers through it, and there was a slight scruff of beard along his jaw. Life away from the DA's office clearly agreed with him. He looked younger and more carefree than she'd ever seen him.

"Hi," he said, stepping towards her and giving her that little half-smile she loved so much.

"What are you doing here?"

"I heard about Miller…" He'd seen the news coverage of the case and heard from Rita the rumours about the lawyer having judges and other influential people in his pocket, but he'd thought Olivia could handle it. He'd watched her take down people just as important and crooked before. It was only when Carmen had emailed out of the blue, telling him Miller had been threatening Olivia and Noah, that he realised this was something bigger, something different. "…and I thought you might need a friend."

She raised an eyebrow at the word 'friend' but didn't say anything. So, as Lucy made a discreet exit, he continued. "I know I've been… remiss… in upholding my side of our friendship and I'm sorry about that, sorrier than you will ever know. But I do still consider you a friend, Liv. My best friend."

He took a few more steps, closing the gap between them. His hands reached for her and settled on her upper arms. "I know we'll have to talk about what happened, about what I did, and I'm willing to face whatever questions, accusations and consequences that leads to, but right now I'm concerned about that my best friend. She's had a tough few days and I came here to talk to her about whatever she wants to talk about."

His use of the same words he'd said to her after Noah's kidnapping was Olivia's undoing. Any anger that she had felt towards him after he'd left had long since dissipated, leaving behind a deep ache of sadness. But the sight of him now, stood in her living room, offering his unwavering support was like a salve, healing her disappointment and resentment.

She stepped into him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. The stress of the past few days combined with the rush of emotions she felt at seeing him again engulfed her and tears streamed down her face as she felt Rafael's arms rise and wrap around her.

He held her as she cried out her fears and frustrations until the sound of Noah's door opening reached their ears. Olivia pulled back, wiping furiously at her eyes, not wanting Noah to see her cry. Her actions were in vain, however; Noah noticed the red puffiness around her eyes.

"Are you okay, mom? You're crying."

She nodded. "I'm okay sweet boy. I just got a little emotional seeing Rafa again, that's all." She hated lying to her son, but there were some things that he didn't need to be privy to, and his mom's worries and fears were definitely on that list.

Noah pursed his lips. "But Uncle Rafa coming back is a happy thing."

Rafael smiled at the little boy. "I'm glad you think so," he said, bending down next to him. "Sometimes, grownups have so many feelings and emotions inside that we cry, even when we don't feel sad."

Noah's brow creased as he pondered Rafael's statement. After a few moments of considered thought, he spoke. "Grownups are weird."

His frank assessment of the situation broke the tension and had both adults smiling. "Yes, we are," Olivia agreed as Rafael stood from the floor.

"Can Uncle Rafa stay for dinner?" Noah asked. "He said he'd help me with some of my Hogwarts Castle."

Olivia snuck a hopeful look at Rafael. She wanted him to stay, not just for Noah, but so they could talk. She had so many questions and things she needed to say to him. As she was sure he did to her. She grabbed the phone off its cradle on the end table.

"I was going to order in. Pizza? When Noah's in bed, we can catch up properly. I think there's still a bottle of scotch floating around somewhere." She waved a hand in the vague direction of the kitchen.

"Sounds perfect," he replied, before turning to Noah. "How about we go make some progress on Hogwarts and let your _mami_ shower and change?"

"Yeah! Come on, Uncle Rafa!" Noah grabbed Rafael's hand and pulled him down the hallway.

"Any preference for toppings?" Olivia called after their retreating forms. She'd get Noah a mini cheese one of his own. His outbursts had died down since she'd finally gotten to the bottom of what had been worrying him, but she wanted to make sure to avoid any possible meltdowns tonight over black olives contaminating his side of the pizza. But she wasn't sure what Rafael would want.

"You know what I like," Rafael called back.

"Half pepperoni feast, half Greek feast it is then," she muttered to herself as she dialled. Rafael had always been a purist when it came to his pizza. She was glad that hadn't changed. She just hoped nothing else had.

* * *

"I just can't believe what they did," Olivia told Rafael, sipping her wine. "I would never have condoned it."

"That's probably why they didn't tell you," he reasoned. His arm was stretched across the back of the sofa, his body angled toward hers. Her hair was within touching distance and it took all his willpower not to reach out and run his fingers through the soft, dark locks.

After they'd demolished their pizza and Noah had shown his mom his new reading book, he and Rafael had continued with Hogwarts until bedtime, when the young boy had then convinced his uncle to read him not one, but three bedtime stories. Once Noah was snoring softly with Eddie safely tucked under one arm, Rafael joined Olivia in the living room, where she'd poured drinks for both of them, and she began to fill him in on her life since he left.

She was on her third glass of wine by the time she got to the saga of Rob Miller and the plot Stone had hatched with Nikki Staines and her squad.

"You know the only reason they did what they did was that they care and wanted to protect you and Noah…" He couldn't honestly say that he wouldn't have wanted to do the same, although he was sure he'd have found another way.

"Yes, Stone made that _very_ clear."

His eyes widened as he raised his glass to his lips. "Oh?"

"Mmm. He stood outside the courthouse and gave me this big speech about why he had to leave."

She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at Rafael. The hours since, combined with the wine and presence of her best friend, had relaxed her no end and she could now look back on the events of the afternoon with amusement at the ridiculousness of the whole situation.

"So not only did he steal my job, he stole my moves too?"

Olivia pursed her lips for a moment as she resisted the urge to point out that he resigned, even when McCoy had told him it wasn't necessary. "Relax Rafa, he wasn't anywhere near as eloquent as you."

"Good to know. So, what exactly did Mr Hotshot Pitcher say?" he asked, putting his glass down on the coffee table.

She sighed. "He said the way he felt about me had caused him to lose perspective, clouded his vision… That I could see cases with an open heart but that he needed to be able to see cases through clear eyes." She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "Not too dissimilar from what you said, actually… A girl could get a complex."

"So, you care Liv. It's what makes you so good at your job. There's nothing wrong in it."

"There is when it loses me my ADAs," she said wryly.

He shook his head and shifted closer to her on the couch. This time he couldn't stop his hand reaching out and stroking her hair. Instinctively, she arched into his touch.

"My decision to leave. It wasn't on you, Liv. Yes, you changed me, but you made me a better person. Before I met you, I was lonely. I didn't realise it at the time, but I was. My life consisted almost entirely of work, of climbing the political ladder. You became my friend and confidante, you allowed me to be part of Noah's life. You showed me that there was more out there for me. You taught me to value advocating for the victim over ambition.

"And yes, that was part of why Drew Householder's case affected me so much, but the decision I made was mine and mine alone. And came from a much deeper place than your influence. I was carrying demons from my past that affected my judgement."

Olivia nodded. She understood, probably more than most, the effect past demons could have on a person.

"Stone's had a hard fifteen months," Rafael continued. "Losing his father, then his sister. That had to have affected him."

"So, I'm not some sort of black widow who sucks the life out of her ADAs?" Her tone was light, but Rafael could sense a sliver of uncertainty just below the surface.

"Never."

There was that half smile again. The one that always made Olivia want to grab him by the collar and kiss him senseless. She resisted, however, settling instead for leaning into him and resting her head on his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to her head.

Olivia sighed. "The last time you did that, you left."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Why?"

He knew she wasn't asking why he was sorry. She wanted to know why he'd left. He'd prepared himself for this conversation all the way back to Manhattan; rehearsing what he would say, but now that the moment was upon him, he found himself lost for words. Everything he'd planned to say felt inadequate.

"I don't know." He reached for his glass, lifting it to his lips. "I was lost. I wasn't thinking straight." He took a sip. "My life was falling apart at the seams and I couldn't, wouldn't drag you and Noah down with me."

"You don't know that's what would have happened."

He shook his head, returning his drink to the coffee table. "No, but I couldn't take the chance." He paused to collect his thoughts. "I suppose, when it comes down to it, Stone and I aren't that different. We both wanted to protect you and Noah. He from a dangerous criminal, me from myself."

"We never needed protection from you."

"Maybe not. But I had to get my life together, get myself to a place where I felt I deserved you both. Then I would come back and hope and pray that you hadn't moved on."

Olivia raised her head to look at him. "And is that where you're at now?"

He shook his head lightly, but his eyes never left hers. "I finally realised I don't need to be. Whether I deserve you or not is not my decision to make. It's yours. I was wrong to take that decision away from you last February. I should have told you that day how I felt and let you choose whether you wanted to take a chance."

"I would have chosen you."

Rafael felt the butterflies in his stomach, Olivia's words re-igniting the flame of fear that he'd screwed everything up and they had missed their window.

"A-and now?" he asked, his voice a cracked whisper.

She placed her hand on his thigh, just above his knee. Gazing lovingly into his eyes, she spoke with soft sincerity. "I will always choose you, Rafa. Always and in all ways."

He leaned in to kiss her, but she reached out and put two fingers on his lips, stalling him.

"But," she continued, "I need to know you're ready for this. I can't have you running out of Noah's life again if it all gets too much for you." She didn't know that she could cope with him leaving again either, but her main concern was that her son not get hurt. "I'm not saying you have to be his father but…"

Rafael nodded and placed a light kiss to the pads of her fingers. "I know." The words left his lips in a sigh. He pulled away and took her hand in his, lowering it to his lap. "I've screwed up every relationship I've ever had," he said quietly. "I almost screwed up this one. I have no intention of hurting you or Noah. You've no idea how much it pains me that I already did that once. I'm ready, Liv, for whatever us being in a relationship means, and I will spend every day trying to prove that to you if you'll let me. To Noah too."

She gave him a watery smile. "I know you will, Rafa. I've told you before, I have absolute faith in you. If you say you're ready, I believe you. What happened last year, while not forgotten, has no bearing on that." Her voice hitched, thick and low with emotion. "As long as you're not planning to disappear again."

Rafael's eyes lowered to their hands. He turned his over beneath hers and let his fingers curl around the thin, delicate digits. It blew his mind, the way that she viewed him, the trust that she put in him. He'd feared that walking away last year had ruined everything, but for some unknown reason, Olivia was willing to give him another chance. One that he was going to grab hold of and never let go.

He lifted his gaze. "I'm back, for good. I quit my job to move back to Manhattan. I'm unemployed and currently living out of my car, so I know I'm hardly much of a catch, but… I love you, Liv." He exhaled deeply, relief at his long-held secret finally revealed. Pulling his hand away from hers, he cupped her face, the tips of his fingers settling against her jaw. "I know that this might seem like it's out of the blue, but I want to be honest with you."

Her hand rose to cover his. "It's okay, Rafa. I love you too. I can't say exactly when it happened, but…" she trailed off with a shrug. At the end of the day, it didn't matter when or why. All that mattered was that they were together, and they loved each other. Now they could move forward.

Rafael bent his head closer and hovered there for a moment. This close to her, he could see the gold flecks that lit her eyes, that always seems to make the brown shine a little brighter. He had often thought about this moment, but he'd never imagined how good it would feel like to have her this close to him. He swallowed hard, past a suddenly dry throat. His eyes closed as he inhaled. He could smell the faint aroma of her gardenia shampoo, the way it mingled with the softly scented perfume that she wore. His nose nuzzled her cheek and Rafael felt her lips curve as his brushed against them. They lingered there, barely a caress at all. When she hummed, and moved her lips against his, increasing the pressure of the kiss, he let his hands drop. His arms wrapped around her and he gathered her close.

Olivia's arms slid around him as she melted against him. At the first brush of his tongue against her bottom lip, she moaned softly. Her hands wandered the length of his back, as she deepened the kiss.

When they finally broke apart, she turned her face into his neck, peppering light kisses to his skin. When she felt his hands slide into her hair again, she pulled back to look at him, her lips swollen and eyes lidded.

"Was that okay?" Rafael asked.

She nodded. "More than. Today has definitely taken a turn for the better."

His eyes sparkled. "Oh, I don't know… hearing Mr Hotshot Pitcher is leaving town, that'll take some beating."

She swatted him playfully in the chest. "Weren't you the one telling me, not ten minutes ago, that he'd had a tough year?"

"Well yeah, but by the sounds of it, I could have a bit of competition for your affections."

She shook her head. "Never." She picked up her wine, downing the remnants of dark liquid, before refilling her glass. "So, you know all about my life this past year and a half, why don't you fill me in on what you've been up to?"

He mirrored her movements, downing the rest of his scotch. "That might take a while."

"Well, we've got all night." She placed her hand on his thigh. "I was hoping you'd stay?"

* * *

Sometime later, in the dim light of her bedroom, Olivia lay on her stomach beside Rafael, her arms folded beneath her and a sheet bunched around her hips. The rest of the bedding had been lost to the floor. The hour had grown late. Or early, as the case may be. They had talked, laughed, made love, and now they lay watching one another. She smiled when his hand moved slowly upward, tracing the curve of her spine. The leg that was curled around his slid higher. When her knee brushed against him, drawing a hiss, she smirked.

His hand moved higher, beneath the curtain of her hair. His fingers traced the chain of her necklace. He hated to break the silence that settled over them. It was comfortable, serene.

His head propped in his hand; he spoke. "What time will Noah be up?"

Olivia hummed. She turned her face further into the pillow and let her eyes close. "Usually about six thirty. I get him dressed and settled with breakfast and then Lucy will be here at seven to watch him while I get myself ready."

Rafael leaned over and pushed her hair aside. His lips brushed her shoulder. "Why not text her, tell her to take the day off, work on her paper. I can watch him while you get ready for work and then get him to school and pick him up again after." His lips curved into a smile.

Olivia opened her eyes and looked at him. "I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not." He pushed her onto her back and settled over her. "I'm offering. If it makes you feel better, you can think of it as providing work for the unemployed." His eyes sparkled. He grinned crookedly down at her. "I fully intend to exact payment." Her laugh, low and throaty, had him brushing his lips against her upturned mouth. "Seriously, Liv, I mean it. Let me help out. Noah and I have a lot of catching up to do."

"As long as you're not trying to put my nanny out of a job."

His head lowered, lips soft against her neck. "Mmm, now if I did that, who would babysit when we go to dinner on Saturday?"

Her hands moved into his hair. "You asking me on a date, Counsellor?"

"If you want to." His lips brushed the soft skin beneath her ear. His hand moved lower, to slide along her thigh as her leg lifted to curl around him. He stroked the smooth skin, from her hip to her knee and back again. He was delighting in the feel of her, much as he had been since they shared their first kiss earlier. Now free to touch her, he found that he couldn't stop.

Olivia hummed quietly as his tongue traced the line of her collar bone. Her neck arched. Her eyes closed while her fingers combed through his hair. Her nails raked gently against his scalp. Another soft sigh left her lips when his other hand settled against her waist and moved slowly upward. The physical intimacy came so easily, it seemed to have been all that they were missing previously. They were already intimate. That was a point that they discussed earlier. There was so much more to being intimate with another person than sex. They already crossed the non-physical boundaries. Up until he'd left, it had seemed inevitable now that they would take that final step, it had been hovering there, just out of their grasp. Now he was back, they had picked up where they left off and more.

"Yes," she replied, her voice hitching when his tongue swept the hollow of her throat.

He pushed himself up and brushed her hair away from her face, thumbs stroking her cheeks. "Better buy yourself a new dress," he teased. "I'm going to pull out all the stops."

Her hands moved to his shoulders. "You don't have to wine and dine me y'know, you've already gotten past first base."

He cringed. "No baseball analogies, please!" Between his own experiences of Little League and Stone's previous career, the less he heard about baseball, the better.

"Sorry. But y'know you won't be able to avoid the subject altogether. Noah's become quite the Yankees fan since you left."

"S'okay, I'm good at negotiating. He'll be playing chess by the end of the summer."

She laughed. "A game where he has to be still and quiet? That I'd love to see!"

"Okay," he shrugged, "so maybe I'll work on the baseball thing. I was serious about taking you out though, you deserve a proper first date. Flowers, dinner, dancing… the works."

She stroked them and down his arms. "Hmm. I don't know. As you said, you're unemployed now. Maybe_ I_ should be taking _you_ out. What's your favourite flower?"

It was Rafael's turn to laugh now, a low rumbling sound. "Roses. Simple, classic. At least two dozen."

Her lips pursed. "I'll see what I can do." She wrapped her arms around his neck, and they rolled across the bed. Olivia settled atop him; the length of her body stretched along his. "Y'know," she said, even as he swept her hair back, out of their way, "I don't remember if I said it before, but I'm glad you're back." She dipped her head and brushed her mouth gently across his.

"Me too, Liv. Me too." His hand found the back of her head and pulled her tight against him for another, deeper kiss.

A yawn from Olivia forced them apart. She hid her face in his neck to hide her blush.

"Should I be offended," he teased.

She shook her head. "Sorry. It's not you. Honestly."

He slid out from underneath her and pulled her tight to his side. She curled her leg around his and lay on his shoulder as he brushed his lips across the top of her head.

"Sleep," he said softly. "You've had a tough couple of weeks and Noah'll have us up in a few hours."

Liv sighed and snuggled into him.

Rafael was right, soon, daylight would be upon them and they would have to get up, begin the next chapter – together. But for now, they were content to lie in each other's arms, in the dimly lit room and dream about what this new beginning would bring.


End file.
